Mistaken Identity
by Bridget
Summary: Philip King gets kidnapped. (Takes place shortly after the series ended)


Title: "Mistaken Identity"

Author: Bridget Frawley ([Scarecro9@aol.com][1])

__

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters that are copyrighted by Warner Brothers and Shoot The Moon Productions. It is meant for enjoyment purposes. I retain the rights to the plot and not the characters

Philip King had started attending Georgetown University in the fall. He chose to stay at the dorm. He drew John Thornwater as a roommate. John was a quiet guy who kept mostly to himself. He lacked confidence, and seemed unsure of everything and everyone, but he was eager to please. Philip had started to feel sorry for John, but they soon became friends. After all, he could have drawn a much worse person as a roommate, and John wasn't that bad, really. 

Realizing that college was very expensive, Philip decided to get a job instead of asking his mother for pocket money and money for textbooks he decided to get a job. With John's help he had found one in the Bursar's office, keeping track of inventory and making sure the records were up to date. John was already working there, and he knew they needed extra help, so he recommended his friend for the job. Philip had been at it a week now, and he didn't mind the job itself. It got interesting at times. He had returned to the office after running an errand and walked inside when he heard John on the telephone.

"All right," John said abrasively, "but this is the last time." He slammed the telephone back into its cradle.

"Is everything all right?" Philip asked, concerned. He had never heard John raise his voice at anyone. Actually, he never thought that John _could_ get mad at all.

John whirled around, startled. He hadn't realized that anyone had come in. When he saw who it was he relaxed. He laughed sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't think anyone was here."

"You okay?" Philip asked anxiously.

"Sure, fine." After a few seconds he anxiously asked, "You heard that?"

Philip nodded, wide-eyed.

"It was nothing. Just forget it. Okay?" John pleaded nervously, jumping to his feet and pacing.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." John walked over to the other side of the room and began to alphabetize the ledgers that were on the window sills. He didn't want to get his friend involved yet.

Philip shrugged his shoulders and went about his job, thinking at the same time that something wasn't right. He resolved to find out what was going on. "Are you worried about that calculus exam? I told you I'd help you with that after we're finished here."

"It's not that." John suddenly looked at his watch and then over at Philip. He cleared his throat nervously and said, "Look, I won't be going straight back to the dorm. I have an errand to run, but I'll see you in about a half hour."

"What kind of errand?" Philip asked. "Can I help you with anything?"

"No, no," John lied hastily. "It's nothing. I just have to see Donna for a few minutes." He improvised hastily.

"Doesn't she have a class?" Philip asked pointedly.

"Well, yeah, but I'm going to try and catch her between classes," he explained, telling a half truth. If only things were so simple. He tried to comfort himself with the thought that this was the last time. "You know how it is when you're dating a girl. You don't want her to spend too much time alone." John tried to sound confident but it came out wrong.

Philip nodded dubiously. He knew that this was a fabrication, but he couldn't force John to tell him what was going on.

John sighed in relief, glad that Philip seemed to accept this explanation. He looked at his watch again. "Well, quitting time. I'll see you later. Okay?"

"Okay," Philip said.

John hurried out of the office.

Philip followed behind him at a discreet distance. However, never having done this type of thing before he lost John after a few minutes. Philip was concerned now and decided to find out what was wrong when John returned.

He'd been up half the night wondering what kind of trouble John was in. He tried to get some sleep but was too keyed up, his mind going over all the possibilities. He racked his brain trying to think of something to get John to talk to him. At about 9 a.m. Philip decided that he couldn't wait in his room any longer. He decided to look around on his own. At first Philip thought John may have spent the night with a girlfriend (Donna, maybe?). That really wasn't his friend's style but you never knew. Philip decided to question a few of the other students for his own peace of mind. No one had seen John, Donna included. Philip decided to call campus security. 

Two campus security guards arrived after about an hour and performed a cursory examination of the area.

"He must have run away," Sgt. Jamison concluded to Philip after his men turned up nothing.

"Not John," Philip insisted. 

"Students do it all the time when school gets too difficult or when they have problems they can't handle," Jamison explained reasonably.

"He had no reason to run away," Philip said stubbornly.

"Maybe he was having a problem with his grades."

"He had straight A's and B's," Philip remarked pointedly.

"Okay, a girl friend, then," Jamison countered. "Maybe he even spent the night at her house."

"I already checked. His girlfriend hadn't seen him for a few days."

"Did it ever occur to you that he has a girl friend off campus?"

"He doesn't."

Jamison sighed. "Maybe he didn't tell you. Think about it. The people we questioned said he'd been acting strangely lately. Isn't it possible he had a fight with someone?"

"I _did _hear him on the telephone with someone," Philip said reflectively, "but I didn't think it was a girlfriend."

"Whatever," Jamison dismissed. "He probably just needs some time alone to think. He'll turn up when he's good and ready."

"Well, thanks for checking around, anyway," Philip said, realizing that he was getting nowhere.

"Any time, son," Jamison patted Philip's shoulder in a fatherly way. "Don't worry. Just wait. He'll call you in a day or two." He concluded, hurrying off before Philip could think of anything else to ask.

Philip walked slowly back to his dorm room, all thought of his classes forgotten. He pondered Jamison's words carefully, and no matter how reasonable it sounded Philip knew that John would never do any of the things Jamison suggested. He believed more than ever that something had happened to John. He finally decided to call the only person he could think of to help him. 

* * * * *

Sgt. Jamison went back to his office and made a phone call.

"Hello," an unidentified voice answered.

"We may have a problem with the King kid." Jamison stated, keeping a wary eye on the front door in case one of his guards returned unexpectedly. It wouldn't do to have any witnesses to this conversation.

"What problem? We made sure he never saw where Thornwater went."

"I know, but he's smart. He doesn't think Thornwater disappeared like we figured everyone would. He think's something wrong."

"Kill him."

"We can't, at least not yet," Jamison protested hastily, not wanting things to come to that. "I think I've convinced him that it's all in his imagination."

"I don't like this, Jamison."

"I don't either, but one missing person is explainable. Two would be difficult, especially if they're both room mates. It would cause more trouble than it's worth. Like I already said, he's pretty much convinced that nothing's wrong."

"Then why did you call me?"

"To let you know what's going on. I could be wrong. I don't think I am, but you never know."

"Keep me appraised of the situation. I'll decide what we do if this gets out of hand."

"Yes, sir." He hung up the telephone and went back on patrol.

* * * * *

Lee Stetson was working in the "Q" Bureau, trying to catch up on some paperwork that had fallen by the wayside recently. He'd been at it unenthusiastically for the past hour and was finally near the end. The telephone rang. He sighed in irritation and answered it. "Q bureau."

"Hi, Lee," Philip said apprehensively. "Is my mother there?" 

"Philip, hi!" Lee enthused. He had been thinking of calling the boy later that evening to see how Philip was faring with college life. "How's college?"

"Not so great at the moment," he sighed

"Oh. Well, your mom just went downstairs. I'll try to catch her." He started to rise from his chair.

"Wait!" Philip protested hastily.

"Why? What's wrong?" Lee asked curiously, seating himself again.

Philip glanced around nervously. "Can we meet somewhere and talk?"

"Sure." He answered, shrugging his shoulders. "Where and when?"

"1:00 at the Cantina. It's a coffee shop about 1 mile north of campus."

"I'll be there," Lee promised.

"Don't tell my mom, okay?" Philip asked anxiously.

Lee's eyebrows rose in surprise, wondering what was happening. "All right, if that's what you want."

"Definitely."

"I'll see you at 1 then." Lee hung up the phone, trying to puzzle out what was going on.

Amanda came in. "Hi."

Lee looked up, startled. He was so intent in his thinking that he hadn't heard her come in. "Hi."

"Who was that?" She asked curiously.

"Where?" His mind was still on Philip's possible problem.

"On the telephone just now," she clarified.

"Oh, it was just a wrong number." He started to busy himself with some papers on his desk. He always hated to lie to her. Besides, she always managed to find him out. "Billy want anything interesting?"

"Nope. What are you doing for lunch?"

He looked up at her sharply. "Why?"

She laughed. Lee always hated paperwork at the best of times, so it must be really getting to him. "I was going to take you out. It's all right if you have other plans." She stared into his eyes and saw that something was bothering him. "Is something wrong?"

"No, not a thing. It's just that I do have other plans," he broke off for a minute, trying to think of a plausible excuse, "a meeting."

"Oh, with who?" She asked curiously.

"Nobody important." He got to his feet quickly and decided to leave before she got too suspicious. "Look, I have to go out for a while. I'll see you later tonight. Okay?"

"Sure." She said agreeably, knowing that he'd tell her eventually.

He kissed her goodbye and left.

Philip was already seated when Lee arrived. He walked over to the table and sat down.

"Hi," Philip said. "Thanks for meeting me here."

"Any time. What's up?"

The waitress came over and they both gave their orders. 

Philip began his story after she left. "It's like this." He explained everything that had transpired.

"I think that campus security is right," Lee said after Philip finished.

"John wouldn't just disappear like that," Philip insisted. "Besides, what about the phone call?"

"Maybe he was talking to his girl friend."

Philip leaned across the table and looked at Lee intently. "Lee, he was scared."

"What do you want me to do?" Lee asked seriously.

"Can't you look into it?"

"What reason would I have?" Lee asked pointedly. "A college student disappearing has nothing to do with the government."

"John's father is on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Thornwater."

Lee sighed in resignation.

"Is that a legitimate reason?" Philip asked hopefully.

"It is." He picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip. "Senator Thornwater's making a lot of enemies on the Hill with his policies lately. It's possible his son was kidnaped as some kind of vendetta against him."

"Would someone do that?" Philip asked, concerned.

"It's possible," Lee said, trying to downplay it. "Why didn't you want me to tell your mother about any of this?" He asked curiously.

"You know how she gets. She'd only worry. Besides, there isn't much she could do. Is there?"

He suppressed the urge to smile and took another sip of his coffee. "No, not really." He got solemn. "I really don't like to lie to her, though."

Philip sat there silently, thinking. "Okay, you can tell her. But don't let her get carried away."

Lee smiled knowingly. "I know what you mean."

* * * * *

The telephone in Jamison's office rang. He answered it.

"Guess what?"

"What?" Jamison asked, recognizing the voice.

"You were wrong about the King kid."

"What did he do? Hell, what _could _he do?"

"He met someone for lunch today."

"So what?" _This _was nothing to be worried about.

"That someone was Lee Stetson."

"Who's that?"

"He works for the Agency. His code name is 'Scarecrow'."

Jamison's heart sank. "What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing right now. I haven't decided what to do about this. He's not dangerous -- yet."

Jamison liked Philip. In a way he reminded him of his own son. "What could he tell? He doesn't know anything other than Thornwater's missing."

"You don't know Stetson. He has a reputation for solving the most difficult problems. However, we may have an ace in the hole."

"What's that?" He asked warily.

"Philip King. If Stetson gets too close, we take the King kid as hostage."

"What makes you think Philip King means anything to him?"

"That kid means something to him. Why else would he show up here when a college kid calls him? I'm going to try to find out what their relationship is. In the meantime, I want you to keep your eyes open around there." He hung up the telephone.

* * * * *

Lee and Francine were in Billy's office. Lee was explaining what Philip had reported to him at lunch.

"Why would someone want to kidnap Jack Thornwater's son?" Francine asked when he finished.

"Maybe they want him to change his opinion on one of the bills going through the Committee," Lee suggested thoughtfully.

"I didn't think they had anything that big on the table," Billy remarked.

"It could be something coming up," Lee protested, "something we don't know about."

"It's possible," Billy conceded. "Trying to get information from those people is like pulling teeth."

"It just so happens that I have a friend over at the Senate," Francine interjected. "I might be able to find something out by tomorrow."

"Why so long?" Lee asked.

"Lee," Francine explained coolly, "that is as fast as you're going to get anything. Consider yourself lucky."

"Where's Amanda?" Billy asked, trying to forestall an argument.

"She's waiting upstairs for me," Lee answered. "We're on our way to check out John's room." He looked at his watch. "I'd better be going. I'll check in later." He left.

Lee and Amanda carefully searched the room John and Philip shared at the dormitory. Lee found a marked off road map showing ingress and egress routes of all parts of the campus. "Philip, come take a look at this. What's this map doing here?"

Philip dutifully came over and studied the map. "I've never seen that before. What's it for?"

Lee studied it, trying to understand its significance. "It must mean something."

Amanda came over and looked at it over his shoulder. "Why don't we drive around and see if that helps?" 

They left, surveying the areas marked off on the map. 

"You notice anything familiar about these roads?" Lee asked.

"That they all seem to be in the vicinity of the college administration building?" She queried.

"Exactly. It must mean something."

They returned to the campus and questioned a few of the other students. They couldn't ask too many questions because they didn't want to arouse suspicion. They developed very little new information. They then went back to Philip's dorm room. 

Amanda went over to the window. She noticed many young-looking students wandering around almost aimlessly. "Sweetheart, something seems wrong with these kids." Amanda observed thoughtfully.

Philip came over to the window and looked out beside her. "Those are the new students for the fall semester. They look like that sometimes."

"Aren't there a lot of new students there?" Lee asked, walking over towards the window.

"This is registration week," Philip explained.

Lee noticed an armored car going through the grounds. "Is that normal procedure?" He would have thought that the truck would have to go down one of the back roads instead of in full view of everyone for security reasons.

"What?"

"The armored car. Do they usually drive through campus?"

"They do that a couple of days a week. I think Tuesdays and Fridays they pick up the money from the Bursar's office, school cafe and the book department."

Lee stared into space reflectively. "I wonder how much those trucks carry," he mused aloud, wondering if it would be substantial enough for a robbery.

"I don't know," Philip answered.

"I don't know either, but I'm going to find out," Lee resolved.

* * * * *

Sgt. Jamison's telephone rang. He was sitting at his desk working on the security schedule for the following week. He answered it. "Hello?"

"Remember I told you that there was some connection between the King kid and Stetson?"

"Yeah?" _'What now?'_ he thought to himself unhappily.

"Well, it turns out that Philip King's mother and Stetson work together at the Agency. In fact, they do more than work together."

"You mean they're dating each other?"

"They got married on February 13, 1987."

"You're kidding," Jamison stated in surprise.

"Guess what else?"

Jamison dreaded what was coming, but something made him ask, "What?"

"We're going to snatch that kid and keep him until after the robbery."

"But, Franco, that'll cause nothing but problems, especially now. You think Stetson's going to drop the investigation if you do something like that?"

"He will."

"He won't. He'll only get mad. Besides, he doesn't know anything. The King kid couldn't tell him what he didn't know himself." He was getting more nervous by the second. He knew that nothing but trouble would come by a vendetta against a government agent.

"Stetson'll find out," Franco said assuredly. "I know him. He'll discover what the plan is and try his best to stop us. I want him out of the way before we do anything further."

"I don't like it." He hoped Franco would change his mind.

Franco's voice suddenly dropped to a whisper. "Let's get one thing straight right now. I'm the boss around here. If you don't like it, I'm sure something can be arranged."

Jamison swallowed hard, knowing a threat when he heard one, and knowing that Franco wasn't bluffing. He stammered nervously, "No, Franco, I like things just the way they are."

"Good. Get moving."

"Where do you want me to keep him?"

"I don't care." He thought for a minute. "Put him in with Thornwater. That King kid's been so worried about his friend anyway, they can keep each other company." He hung up.

Jamison hung up his end of the receiver slowly. 

* * * * *

Philip was in the bursar's office, straightening up some records.

Jamison came through the door with a too-bright smile on his face. "Son, we may have found some information on your friend."

"What?" Philip asked eagerly.

"I need to talk to you in private."

Philip glanced around him. The office was empty. Donna Mason, John's girlfriend, had just left to get some more paper for the copy machine. "We're alone."

"Someone could come in," he said persuasively. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Philip shrugged his shoulders, thinking Jamison must have some sort of logical reason. He followed Jamison to the door.

They met Donna in the hallway.

"What's going on?" Donna asked.

Jamison stood aside, trying to stand in the shadows without being too obvious about it.

"I have to talk to campus security," Philip explained. "Can you cover for me until I get back?"

"Is it about John?" Donna asked anxiously.

"I don't know," Philip answered honestly. "He just wants to talk to me alone. I should be back soon. If you're not here I'll come to your dorm later. Okay?"

"All right." She took his hand. "Be careful."

Philip nodded, then turned to Jamison. 

They walked off together in the direction of the security office.

* * * * *

Lee was back at the "Q" bureau, studying all the records of the truck drivers. His head ached from studying them for so long. Still, he knew the answer had to be there somewhere. He just didn't recognize it yet.

Amanda came in. "Hi," she said, sitting on the edge of his desk, as well as sitting on some of the schedules he had been studying.

"What is it?" He asked testily, moving the remainder of his papers out of the way, not looking up.

"John Thornwater works in the Bursar's office with Philip," Amanda began.

"We already know that," Lee muttered, not looking up.

"It appears that Senator Thornwater's son has a gambling problem."

He glanced up at her in interest. "_That_ I didn't know. Are you sure?"

"That's the information I've found out so far. It seems that he has a habit of owing some money to some very dangerous gentlemen in the Las Vegas vicinity. His father usually paid them off, but the last time he told his son that he'd have to pay his own bills. There are also rumors that John owes a considerable debt to these same gentlemen."

"Rumors?"

"Francine is working on that angle now, but it doesn't fit," Amanda said thoughtfully.

"What do you mean?"

"He didn't seem to be that type of boy."

Lee looked at her in disbelief. "You can never tell these days."

"I guess you're right," she sighed. "What did you find out?"

"According to these schedules the truck makes two stops on Tuesdays and Fridays, the first to the restaurant and the second to the Bursar's office. The total doesn't usually add up to more than $5,000 each trip." He explained.

"Oh," she said dejectedly.

"But once a month the same truck stops at the Bursar's office after it stops for a pick up of bonds and new money at the Federal Reserve Bank," he continued.

"The Federal Reserve?" She questioned in puzzlement.

"They usually issue new bills for distribution to smaller banks after the college stop. And guess when their next monthly trip will be?"

"This Friday?" She guessed.

"Correct."

"That has to be it, but what does John have to do with all this? He's a gambler, but I don't think he's a thief. Besides, have you ever seen John?"

He shook his head. "Why?"

"He's afraid of his own shadow. I can't imagine him carrying an M-16 or whatever type of weapon it is they use to rob a truck and possibly shoot someone."

"Well, he's involved somehow." He paused for a few seconds, thinking. "What if he's involved indirectly?"

"What do you mean?"

"Suppose you're right. He wouldn't do something like that himself, but the guy he owes money to is blackmailing him into giving them the schedule of the truck. That would explain John's having the map in his room."

"It would also explain that phone call Philip overheard," she continued, following his line of thought. "John refused to do it any more, whatever _it _is. He was upset about the situation he was in. But how could they blackmail him? His father already knew about his problem."

"All right, maybe not blackmail," Lee agreed. He was speaking off the top of his head, mulling over the possibilities. "Maybe they promised John that they'd wipe his slate clean if he gave them the information they wanted. He believed them, thinking no one would get hurt. Suddenly his conscience gets in the way and he backs out."

"And they decide to get rid of John." She finished for him. "Do you think they've killed him?"

"I don't think so. They'll probably wait until after the robbery. They may need more information, and they can't get that if they he's dead."

Francine came into the room breezily. "Hello there, folks," she said cheerily, standing in the doorway.

Lee and Amanda turned to face the door.

"Hi, Francine," Amanda said with a definite lack of enthusiasm.

"Guess what I found out," she said teasingly.

"Get to the bottom line here, Francine," Lee demanded. He had no patience for her games right now, his train of thought broken.

"Testy, testy," She took a step towards the door in mock anger as if she was leaving. "Keep this up and I may never tell you what I've learned," she warned.

Lee's patience was wearing thin. He took a deep breath and forced himself to be patient. "I'm sorry. What did you find out?"

"That's better," she remarked, mollified. She strolled back towards them, smiling. "It's hard to verify exactly, but I've got some very strong information that Senator Thornwater's son owes about $100,000 to Franco Lindemann."

He whistled. "You're lucky you found out his name if that's true."

"Who's Franco Lindemann?" Amanda asked blankly.

"Only one of the biggest casino owners in Las Vegas," Francine explained. 

"And Franco wouldn't hesitate to use someone to get what he wants," Lee continued for her.

"What does he want?" Amanda asked in confusion.

"Money, and lots of it." Francine answered for her. "If John's involved with Franco, he's in big trouble." 

"What do we do now?" Amanda asked.

"I think that they'll probably try to take out the truck on the campus grounds when the usual crew won't be expecting any problems," Lee said thoughtfully.

"You and I _could _go undercover as guards," Francine suggested helpfully. "That way we'll be ready when they try to take over the truck."

"That won't work," Lee protested. "Sure, we would catch Franco's thugs, but not Franco himself. He's too smart to be at the actual crime scene."

"Besides," Amanda added, not liking Francine's idea for a number of reasons, "we still wouldn't know where John is."

"She's right," Lee agreed, "and if Franco get suspicious, they'll get rid of him before they do anything else."

"Well, what's your idea then?" Francine asked.

The telephone rang.

Lee leaned over to answer it. "Yeah?"

"This Lee Stetson?" A voice growled.

"I'm Stetson. What do you want?" He asked defensively.

"I'm warning you to drop the case you're working on now," the voice said.

"Or else what?" Lee demanded belligerently.

"Or else we'll just kill Philip King here and now." He slammed down the telephone, not waiting for a response.

Lee hung up his end of the receiver slowly.

"Who was that?" Amanda asked.

"One of Lindemann's thugs," Lee answered, not knowing what to say to her. 

"He wants you to drop the case?" Francine guessed.

Lee nodded.

"I wonder how they found out we were working on anything that had to do with him," Francine mused.

Amanda had been observing Lee during the entire conversation. He wasn't acting like his usual self, and she was suddenly frightened. "What else did he say?"

"What makes you think he said anything else?" He demanded evasively.

"You asked, 'or else what'," she repeated. "He had to say something else. What was it?"

He decided that he had to tell her the truth. She was going to find out sooner or later, and it was better if it came from him. He said slowly, "I think they're using Philip as a hostage."

Amanda stared at him, the color draining from her face. "You think?" She repeated, not wanting to believe what she was hearing. "You're not sure?"

"No, I'm not," he lied quickly. "Franco's not that stupid. Why would he do something like that?"

"He's right," Francine agreed. "There's no reason why kidnapping your son would compromise Lee's investigation in any way. Is there?"

There was a moment of silence at that comment.

Amanda suddenly reached for the telephone. "I'm going to find out if they have him one way or the other."

"Who are you calling?" Lee asked.

"Philip," Amanda answered while dialing. 

There was no answer on the other end.

Amanda hung up the phone slowly, her hand shaking. She suddenly feeling cold inside. She had to do something.

"He might be in class, you know," Lee pointed out. 

She got to her feet and went over to her desk and took her purse out of the top drawer, coming to a decision. "I'll see you later."

He hurried to his feet and moved to block her path in front of the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To the school to see if he's all right," Amanda explained reasonably, her voice trembling slightly. "I have to know."

"I'll drive you there," he promised, "but you have to promise me that whatever we find you'll try to stay calm. Deal?"

"Lee -- " she began.

"Amanda, we won't be able to help him if we don't stay calm. Do you understand me?" He had to impress upon her how important that was. 

She took a deep breath, warmed by the way he used the word 'we'. She nodded. "I'm not going to make any promises, but I'll try."

"Fair enough." He had a sneaking suspicion that Lindemann's people did have Philip. He made a silent vow to himself that if Philip had been kidnapped he'd catch whoever they were and make them pay for this. He signaled Francine inconspicuously.

Francine nodded in understanding.

Lee and Amanda left the Agency. They got into his car and drove to the campus. Lee pulled up outside.

Amanda checked her watch. "He should still be at the bursar's office."

Lee nodded. Both he and Amanda got out of the car and went inside.

Amanda took a look around anxiously and didn't see anyone. Her heart sank and she swallowed hard. Still, he could be in the back room, she prayed. "Philip?" She called aloud anxiously.

Donna came out from behind one of the filing cabinets. "He's not here right now. Can I help you with anything?"

"No, thanks," Amanda answered. "Did he just leave?"

"He left about an hour ago."

"Do you know where he went?" Lee asked, hoping the girl could help. He wanted to cover all the bases. Besides, they might get a clue.

Donna appraised him suspiciously, not answering. After all, Philip was her friend and these people were strangers to her.

"It's all right," Amanda reassured her. "I'm his mother and this is my -- boss, Lee Stetson."

Donna turned to face Amanda, then suddenly smiled. "I thought you looked familiar. Philip showed me your picture once. It's nice to meet you."

Amanda realized that the girl was trying to be polite, but it took all of her willpower not to scream in frustration.

"Please, miss -- " Lee began.

"Mason," she interrupted in a friendly voice. "Donna Mason."

"Miss Mason. It's very important that we find Philip right away."

Donna was becoming worried. "He went off with one of the security guards. He asked me to cover for him."

Amanda reached blindly for Lee's hand and she put her hand over her mouth as the room started to spin.

Lee put his arm around her waist and held her tightly. "Would you recognize this guard if you saw him again?"

"Sure," Donna answered. "I've seen him around here before." Suddenly a thought came to her. "Hey, did you check the security building? Maybe they're still there."

Lee doubted that either of them would be there, but he didn't want to arouse any suspicions. He pretended to sound as if he hadn't considered that himself. "That's a possibility. Where would that be?" 

"Four buildings over. If he comes in here I'll have him call you," Donna promised.

Lee smiled. "Thanks again." He led Amanda outside.

Once out in the fresh air she took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes, trying to calm her racing heart.

"You okay?" Lee asked in consternation.

She opened her eyes and tried to smile. "I've been better," she admitted. She forced herself to ask the next question brightly. "Where to next -- campus security?" She still couldn't believe that this was happening.

"He's not going to be there, Amanda," he explained gently.

"So?" She countered. "The answer might be there. At least one of the guards must have had something to do with this."

"We don't know that." He tried to be patient. After all, he was having a hard enough time himself, but he knew that they couldn't delude themselves. It wouldn't help anyone, least of all Philip. "For all we know, someone could have stolen or rented a uniform and just said he was a guard."

"Donna said she'd seen him before," she pointed out.

"We don't want to tip our hand," he continued. "If they feel we're on to them, they might do something drastic."

She didn't want to think about that possibility. She knew he was right. "So what do we do now?"

"We go home. Francine can get a hold of the personnel files of everyone even remotely involved with campus security. Donna can look over all the photographs to see if she can identify the guard she saw."

"Couldn't you and I do that now?" She asked anxiously.

"Amanda, you're too involved to be objective right now," Lee answered gently.

"Of course I'm involved, I'm his mother!" She exploded, then took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I'm sorry. I'm just -- worried."

He held her in his arms. "I know you are, and that's a perfectly normal reaction. All I'm saying is that we both have to distance ourselves a little if we want to help Philip. Okay?"

She held him tightly, shaking violently. "They won't hurt him. Will they?" Her voice trembled and she closed her eyes.

"Of course not," he hastened to reassure her. "They have no reason to hurt him. They think they're holding all the aces here." _'And they are,'_ he thought to himself grimly. Lee knew that Philip had to be found quickly before his usefulness ran out. He held Amanda at arms length and forced himself to say positively, "Come on. We can discuss this at my place. I think both of us could use a cup of coffee right about now."

She nodded. If anyone could find Philip it was Lee.

* * * * *

Franco's hideout was an abandoned warehouse near the wharf. Franco glared at Philip. "What does Stetson know about our plans so far?"

"Nothing," Philip answered. _'What did John get himself involved in?'_ He thought to himself. Aloud he stated, "I've told you everything I know."

"He knows enough to cause trouble, and he didn't get that information from nowhere," Franco stated.

Philip shrugged his shoulders.

"Listen, kid, save the bravery act. Your step-father won't find you here."

Philip's eyes opened wide with surprise. "Huh?" _Mom would have told me. Wouldn't she?_

"Joey, Mickey," Franco called in a rumbling tone of voice.

Both men entered the room.

"Yeah, boss?" Mickey answered.

Franco pointed to Philip. "Take him to his friend."

They both hustled Philip up and outside. Philip offered little resistance, still stunned by Franco's statement. 

When they reached their destination Joey unlocked the door and opened it.

Mickey shoved Philip inside.

Philip sprawled face down on the floor. He heard the door lock and footsteps receding in the distance.

"What are you doing here?" John asked.

Philip slowly rose to his feet, his mind still reeling. "You okay?"

"I guess so," John sighed dejectedly. "I didn't mean to get you involved in this mess."

Philip sat on the edge of the cot beside John. "What's going on here?"

"Franco's going to rob the armored truck next Friday."

"That's what the map was for!" Philip exclaimed.

John looked at him blankly. "Map?"

"The one under your mattress."

"Oh." He glanced at Philip. "How did you get involved in all this, anyway?"

"My mom works for the government. I asked her -- ," he paused for a second, stumbling over the next word. His mind was still spinning. He kept hearing the same words ringing in his ears, _'Your stepfather won't find you here'._ "-- boss to find out what happened to you. How did you get involved with these people anyway?"

John sighed again. "It's a long story. You think we'll get out of here alive?"

"Sure we will," Philip answered confidently. "We just have to stay alert and take advantage of any opportunities that come our way."

* * * * *

Lee and Amanda were at his apartment, sitting side by side on the couch.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

"I'm going to call Billy. Do you want to lie down for a while?" He didn't want to discuss his plan with her. He was concerned that she'd become more worried than she already was.

"I'd rather stay here," she admitted, too frightened to be alone. "What are you going to say to him?"

"That we have to have people positioned on campus all day Friday," he explained reluctantly. "After Franco's men hit the truck we can follow them to wherever the kids are being held."

"Isn't that risky? What if they spot the tail?"

"They won't. We're trained in this sort of thing. Nothing can go wrong." He tried to sound confident for her sake.

She looked deep into his eyes. "Nothing?"

He shifted uncomfortably. He couldn't lie to her when she looked at him like that. "It's our only chance, Amanda. I can't think of anything else right now. Can you?"

She shook her head after a minute. "No, I can't. Will we be the one's tailing Franco's men?"

"No, I'll be tailing them with Francine." He didn't think that would go over too well, but he hoped that she'd be reasonable for once. He couldn't stand it if something happened to her as well, and he didn't think she'd be able to handle herself very well if they were too late.

"What about me?" She asked expectantly.

"I'd feel better if you stayed here," Lee answered honestly.

"I can't just wait here with nothing to do until you get back," _'if you even come back at all,'_ her mind finished silently, making her all the more afraid. "You know that if you say no I'll follow you anyway."

They both knew how resourceful she could be when she put her mind to it.

"Not if I assign a few guards to keep you here until I get back," he warned. He wanted to protect her for as long as he could. Besides, he wasn't sure of what he might find, and he didn't want her with him until he knew for sure. She'd come a long way since they first met, but this wasn't any ordinary situation. He didn't know if she could be still be objective. He had to keep reminding himself to stay objective and he was the so-called professional. He knew that it had to be much harder for her since it was her child in danger.

Misunderstanding his reluctance she pleaded, "I won't get in the way, I promise. Lee, please. I have to go with you."

"That's not what I'm worried about," he protested sharply.

"I can handle this," she stated with more confidence than she felt. "I have to."

He looked deeply into her eyes. He suddenly realized that she was a lot more capable than he thought possible. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

She smiled wanly. "Yes, but it's something I'll never get tired of hearing."

He drew her close to him, giving in. After all, he knew he'd feel the same way. He sighed. "All right, then, but I want you to be prepared for anything."

She pulled away from his suddenly, wide-eyed. "What do you know?" She whispered.

"Nothing!" He protested. "I'm not saying that anything's happened. You know as much as I do at this point. I'm just saying that we _both_ have to be prepared for whatever's ahead -- good or bad."

She took a deep breath, than sighed. "I'm just glad that Mother and Jamie are on vacation in New York right now. I'd never be able to explain any of this."

He put his hand on her shoulder understandingly. "I'd think of something to tell them. You know that."

She nodded, then said thoughtfully, "You know, this doesn't make sense."

"Sure it does," Lee countered. "A lot of criminals do things like this to get what they want."

"I meant about John. I can't picture him getting involved with Franco."

"Stranger things have happened," Lee said philosophically. He stood up. "I'd better talk to Billy and get Francine moving on those personnel records. I'll go see Donna tomorrow."

She nodded and leaned heavily against him.

"Why don't we try to get some sleep?" He suggested. "We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"I'm not tired," she protested, sighing.

"I'm not, either, but we need to stay alert. We can't afford to miss anything."

She thought that over for a minute, realizing that he was right. "All right." She stood up, then looked at him in confusion as he remained seated.

"I'll be in after I call Billy," he answered.

She nodded and went into the bedroom.

The next morning Lee had gone to see Donna. Amanda hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, her mind trying to puzzle out what seemed wrong. She declined to go with Lee and instead opted to go to the office instead. When she arrived she went to the records department. Once there she sat at one of the computer terminals and started checking on some background material. Suddenly she looked at the screen in surprise, then a hard look came into her eyes. She made a hard copy of the document on the screen and picked up the telephone. She dialed a number. "Hello, Senator Thornwater. My name is Amanda King. I work for the Agency, and I'd like to see you about your son, John. -- Yes, I'll be there in about an hour." She hung up and went to the Q bureau. She left the hard copy of the printout on Lee's desk with a note and then left.

* * * * *

Lee was back at Georgetown University, showing Donna the pictures of the personnel in security.

She was studying them intently. She noticed a figure passing by the window in the corner of her eye. She looked up and saw Jamison. "There he is!"

"Who?" Lee asked, looking at the picture before her.

"The security guard," Donna pointed excitedly at the window.

Lee hurried outside and looked around. He saw a figure walking away from him. "Hey!"

Jamison looked behind him, startled. When he saw Lee Stetson he turned and started to run.

Lee raced after him.

Jamison turned a corner and plunged into a crowd of students.

Lee plunged behind him, shoving students out of the way, trying to see where Jamison went. He was nowhere to be seen. Lee looked everywhere, hoping against hope that he'd reappear. When he realized that was futile, he sighed dejectedly and walked away.

Jamison had ducked into one of the nearby buildings and stayed as low as possible. He cautiously peered from the window and watched Lee walk away. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. This was getting too close for him.

* * * * *

Amanda had arrived at the Senator's office. She walked up to the secretary. "Hello, I'm Amanda King. Senator Thornwater's expecting me."

The secretary nodded and buzzed the senator. "Amanda King is here to see you." She nodded and hung up. "He'll be right out."

"Thank you," Amanda said.

The door behind the secretary opened and a tall, heavy-set man walked out. "Hello, I'm Senator Thornwater. Please come in." He led Amanda into his office and shut the door behind him. He led her to a chair in front of his desk. "Sit down."

Amanda sat and studied him closely, noting the slight resemblance between the senator and his son. They had the same eyes and mouth, but there the resemblance ended. Senator Thornwater was very much his own man. He seemed to radiate confidence and strength. 

"Thank you for seeing me, Senator."

"Certainly, and please call me Jack. You said you wanted to talk to me about John?"

"Yes. I understand you know that he's been gambling quite a bit."

The senator shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, I know. I've tried to talk to him, but nothing seems to help. I finally told him that I wasn't cleaning up after him any more." He couldn't seem to meet her eyes.

Something in his story didn't ring true. He seemed too nervous. "He seems to be involved with Franco Lindemann." She stared at him, studying his every movement.

"Franco -- Lindemann?" He stumbled over the name unconvincingly. "Who's he?"

"He's one of the biggest loan sharks in the country." She answered sharply, deciding that it was time to get down to business. "Look, Senator, Lindemann's kidnapped your son."

Thornwater paled, unaware of the truth until now. "What?"

"He plans to rob the armored car when it makes its delivery."

"He -- " The senator couldn't finish, his mind still spinning. "How do you know all this?"

"Because, Senator, Lindemann kidnapped my son when we started to investigate John's disappearance." 

Her voice was like steel, and she knew she was onto something. "I kept thinking that it didn't seem like John to have anything to do with Lindemann."

Thornwater stood up, eyes blazing. "What are you saying?"

Suddenly Lee burst into the office.

Both Thornwater and Amanda looked up to see what the interruption was.

The secretary hurried in behind Lee. "I'm sorry," she apologized to Thornwater. "He just pushed past me. I'll call security."

"This is my partner, Lee Stetson," Amanda said.

"It's all right, Doris," Thornwater affirmed. 

Doris nodded dubiously and left, closing the door behind her.

"I found your note," Lee whispered angrily to Amanda as he sat in the chair beside her. He then faced the senator.

She nodded, barely hearing him. She turned to face the senator again. "I was just explaining to the senator that John wouldn't have anything to do with Lindemann. I studied all the background information we have, and I realized that your name isn't Jack, it's John. Jack is a common enough nickname, so I guess no one else really made the connection until now. Isn't it true, Senator, that _you're_ the one that's into Lindemann for quite a few thousands of dollars, and that somehow you've convinced your son to take the rap for you?"

Lee gaze snapped to Amanda, thinking that she had lost her mind. He looked over to the senator to apologize, then noticed the senator's demeanor.

Thornwater collapsed heavily into the chair.

"I owe you an apology," Lee whispered to Amanda.

She was too angry to even notice. "Where is he?" She demanded.

"I don't know!" He protested desperately.

She jumped to her feet and slammed her fist on the desk, her face flushed in anger. "Don't make me use force."

Thornwater jumped nervously and pulled back hastily. For one of the few times in his life, he didn't know what to do.

Lee quickly rose to his feet and put his arm around her shoulders. "Amanda, calm down."

"I will not calm down! He knows where Lindemann is, and I'm not leaving here until I find out."

"I don't know," Thornwater pleaded. "It's true. I'm the one that owed Lindemann the money." The words came out in a rush. "He didn't really know me. I've always dealt with him on the telephone. I've never seen him, he's never seen me. I couldn't let him know that a US senator owed him money. I talked my son into pretending he was the one, but I had no idea that Lindemann would do something like this."

It was obvious from the look on Amanda's face that she didn't believe him. She was breathing heavily, trying to remain calm and not lose control.

"You have to believe me," he pleaded desperately.

"Do you still have Lindemann's number?" Lee asked patiently.

"Yes, yes." He hurriedly pawed through his rolodex. Once he came across the card he wanted he pulled it out and thrust it at Lee. "Here, take it."

Lee took the card and put it in his jacket pocket. He then put his arms around Amanda and gently lowered her back into her seat.

She offered little resistance at the moment, still fighting an internal battle.

"How did you get Lindemann's name?" Lee asked, seating himself in his chair.

"I don't understand -- " Thornwater protested in confusion.

"You didn't just pick it out of a hat, did you?" Lee asked sharply. "Where did you get the number?" 

"My -- my bookie gave it to me," Thornwater admitted.

Lee sat for a minute, thinking.

Thornwater sat, sweating. "Look, I don't care what happens to me," he blurted suddenly. "I'll admit everything, just find my son. I should have never dragged him into this in the first place."

"If I find out that you're lying to me, or that you suddenly decide to leave town -- " Lee began in a threatening tone of voice.

"Where can I go?" Thornwater put up his hands in supplication. "I've told you everything I know."

Lee took out a pen and a piece of paper. "This is my number. If you think of anything else, anything at all, call me. Even if you don't think it's very important. We may be able to get some answers." He stood up and handed Thornwater the paper.

Thornwater nodded gratefully, accepting it.

Lee looked over and realized that Amanda was still seated. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Amanda?" He questioned softly.

She looked up at him blankly.

"Let's go." He helped her to her feet and they left.

Once outside they got into his car.

Lee looked over at her, still furious. He had imagined worst case scenarios on the drive over there. "All right, I want to know what you thought you were doing going there alone to meet him."

She took a few deep breaths. "I told you that John wouldn't have gotten involved with Lindemann. Looking into his father's background made me realize that he was the more likely candidate. I was going through the records, and I discovered that 'Jack' Thornwater's real first name is John, just like his son's."

"Why didn't you wait for me to come back?" He demanded furiously.

"I didn't know when you'd be back!" she answered defensively. "The more I thought about it, the angrier I became. How could he involve his son in something like that?"

"I agree with you, but how could you help Philip if you were killed," Lee pointed out.

"Oh, Lee," she protested, thinking he was trying to frighten her. "The senator's not the kind of person to -- "

He sighed in frustration, wishing she could just understand that sometimes in this business there was no typical stereotype. "Amanda, there is no one particular kind of person. Besides, I'm not talking about Thornwater. You'd have to really have to have his back against the wall for him to consider something like that. I meant Lindemann. What if Thornwater called him after your conversation with him?"

"Lee, if I ever get my hands on him I think I'd kill him," she said seriously, voice cold.

He glanced over at her in surprise. "You don't mean that. You're just upset -- " He said reasonably.

"Yes, I DO. He's kidnapped my son." There was a lump in her throat and she closed her eyes, forcing herself to ask what had been on her mind since yesterday, "What if he's killed them both already?" The words came out in a whisper.

He held her in his arms. "They're not dead. Franco needs his hostages alive."

"You don't know that," she protested morosely.

"I do, that's my job. He needs them to keep us in line. I'm sure we'll get a phone call from him or his men soon."

She looked up at him questioningly. Oh, if she could only believe that.

"Donna not only pointed out the guard's photograph, but we saw him on campus. I chased him but he got away. He's bound to call Franco, and in turn Franco will call us," Lee explained logically.

"But what if he gets angry that we're still -- " Amanda started fearfully.

"Let him get angry," Lee interrupted. "He'd suspect a trap if we just gave up without putting up any resistance. "

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I just had to do something, and when the answer was just staring me in the face like that I just couldn't wait."

"I want you to promise me that if anything like that happens ever again that you'll either find me or wait for me. I know it'll be hard, but it's really for the best. When I realized that you'd gone off alone, I suddenly realized that if anything ever happened to you I -- " he broke off, unable to finish. He'd never be able to go on and he knew it. He'd never loved anyone so much before, and to have it suddenly taken it away from him would destroy him. Of that he was certain. He couldn't speak his fears aloud. They were so intense that the mere thought of losing her stole his voice away. Instead, he held her tightly to him. "I don't want to break in a new partner," he whispered.

She smiled, touched. She knew exactly how he felt. "I promise."

"Good." He cleared his throat and started the car. "Let's get back to the office."

* * * * *

Lee and Amanda, disguised as garbage collectors, were cleaning up the trash in the vicinity of the administration building a few hours later.

Two men pulled up in an armored car and got out. They met the registrar in front of the building, accepted the money from him and then got back in the truck and left.

Lee looked around surreptitiously. "Something's wrong," he muttered. He pulled out his walkie-talkie and tried to be unobtrusive. "Any activity there?"

Amanda picked up her walkie-talkie and surveyed the area. "Nothing here. You?"

"Same here." His gaze narrowed thoughtfully. "Francine, is that truck still moving?"

"Yes," Francine answered. "Proceeding south, headed towards the Interstate."

He mulled that over. Suddenly he realized. "Damn!"

"What?" Both women exclaimed anxiously.

Lee began to run toward his car. "They must have taken the driver before they got here."

Amanda ran towards the car as well.

They both got into his 'Vette and drove off.

* * * * *

"Now's our chance to do something," Philip said. He'd been peering out the window for about an hour.

"What are you talking about?" John asked fearfully, looking at his friend as if he'd lost his mind. "We'll be killed!"

"No, we won't. Jamison left with one of the other guys. That only leaves Lindemann and that guy, Mickey."

"I don't know," John said doubtfully.

"We won't get this chance again," Philip argued forcefully. "Besides, once they come back with the money they won't need us any more."

John reluctantly agreed. He shouted as loud as he could and beating on the door frantically, "Help!"

Mickey appeared at the door. "What is it?"

"My friend's sick." John pointed to a motionless figure on the bed.

"Tough."

"Come on," he pleaded, trying to sound desperate. "Lindemann won't be too happy if anything happens to us yet."

Mickey hesitated for a minute, then slowly opened the door, pointing his gun at John. "Stand in the corner."

John did as he was told. "Just help him."

Mickey approached cautiously, wary of a trick. He nudged the figure on the bed none-too-gently with his foot.

There was no movement from the bed.

Mickey kicked harder, slamming the bed against the wall.

Still nothing.

Mickey kept one eye on John as he leaned towards the bed.

Philip, who had been pressed against the wall behind the door, leapt out and gave the hardest karate chop he could to the back of Mickey's neck.

Mickey's eyes opened wide in surprise for a second, then he fell over unconscious.

Philip grabbed the sheets off the bed and started tearing them into strips as fast as he could.

"What are you doing?" John asked in bewilderment.

"We have to tie him up." He thrust some of the strips over. "We'll need all the time we can get."

John nodded and got to work.

* * * * *

Jamison and Joey pulled up in front of the warehouse. They got out of the truck, emptied the back and went inside.

Lee parked approximately a half block away and used his binoculars. His other hand held the walkie-talkie. "Francine, they're going in now."

"I see them," Francine answered. "We'll take the back way."

"Right. We'll go in," he glanced at his watch, "five minutes.

"Okay."

Lee lowered the radio to the seat beside him.

"Let's go," Amanda said, starting to open her door.

He grabbed her hand to prevent her leaving. "I want you to wait here."

"Lee, we went over this before -- " She snapped in annoyance.

"And I agreed to let you come with me," he interrupted. Once again he was plagued with doubts. "You're here." He glanced at his watch anxiously. "I don't have time for this."

"You're the one who's wasting time," she pointed out coldly.

He sighed in exasperation, trying to sound rational. "Look, there could be some shooting."

"I know that," she interrupted sharply, anxious to go.

"I don't want you to get hurt." He didn't want to voice his fears about what else they might find. 

"I'll be careful."

"Amanda!" He exploded. 

She threw open the car door on her side in anger, not wanting to hear any more. She got out, slamming the door behind her as hard as she could. She starting walking briskly towards the entrance, knowing that time was a precious commodity that they didn't have much of.

He hurried after her. He kept abreast her, speaking as they went. "All right, but you have to do what I tell you in there."

"I always do," she said, continuing ahead determinedly, not looking at him.

"You always -- ?!" He choked, rolled his eyes heavenward. "Never mind."

They went inside.

* * * * *

Franco wondered what had delayed Mickey. He went over to the boys' room, looked inside and saw a lone figure on the bed, fully covered. He started to continue his search when he heard a low moan. Apprehensive, Franco looked inside again. He entered the room cautiously, gun drawn and yanked the blanket off the figure. "Mickey!" Franco cursed under his breath and left the room, ignoring Mickey completely.

* * * * *

At the same time Joey and Jamison entered the building.

"Hey, Franco, we're back," Joey called.

Jamison looked around, puzzled by the empty room. "Where is everybody?"

"I don't know," Joey replied. Brains never were his strong suit. "Franco!" He called again.

"I don't like this," Jamison said apprehensively.

Suddenly a voice boomed out from nowhere. "Drop your guns. You're surrounded."

Jamison and Joey looked at one another in panic, then took off in opposite directions.

Jamison, unfortunately, tried to get past Lee, who tackled the guard as he tried to push his way past.

* * * * *

John held up his hand for silence. "You hear that?"

Philip listened hard. "No."

"I thought I heard something."

They heard a gun click and turned around slowly.

Franco was standing there, his gun pointed at them. "I should have done this a long time ago."

Both boys' eyes widened in fright.

Franco pulled the hammer back slowly, smiling. He lost his smile as he felt a gun muzzle in his back.

"I'd drop that if I were you," Amanda said firmly, her voice like ice.

"Mom!" Philip exclaimed in shock.

John was too frightened to make a sound.

Amanda didn't see anyone else but the man who caused all this pain.

Franco's eyes darted towards her, trying to gauge exactly what kind of threat she was. "You might get me, but I'd get at least one of them."

"You might," she agreed readily enough, "but then again, you'd probably be dead before you managed to get off one shot."

"You think so?" Franco asked contemptuously.

"I _know_ so."

He debated whether or not to take the chance when he saw the cold steel in her eyes. Slowly he lowered the gun.

Amanda literally jerked it away from him before he changed his mind.

Lee ran over to join them. "Are all of you all right?"

Amanda took a deep breath to steady her nerves. The nightmare was finally over.

Philip and John ran over to them.

Amanda thrust both guns at Lee and hugged both boys. "Are both of you all right?"

"We are now," Philip answered. He had never been happier to see anyone in his life.

Francine and Fred Fielder came over. They handcuffed Franco and led him away.

"I didn't know your mom could shoot," John said to Philip admiringly.

"Neither did I," Philip admitted, a little dazed by everything that had just happened.

"Why don't we go back to my place and have some tea and relax?" Lee suggested quickly, trying to change the subject.

"That sounds like a good idea," Amanda agreed.

"You know, Franco said the strangest thing to me earlier," Philip started as they all walked towards the door.

"What was that, Sweetheart?" Amanda asked, putting her arm across his shoulders.

He paused thoughtfully for a moment, not sure if he should mention it. He finally decided it was just Franco's way of trying to unnerve him. Still, you never knew. Maybe someday. "It was nothing, mom," he said aloud.

* * * * *

Philip slept in Lee's bedroom while Lee and Amanda snuggled on the living room sofa.

"I'm glad everything worked out okay," Amanda said.

"Me, too." Lee paused thoughtfully for a moment, then spoke carefully. "I've been thinking that it's about time we told your family about us. Things have changed. The kids are older now. Philip's in college and Jamie starts next year. They already know that we're serious about one another. They'd have to be blind not to."

"I've been thinking that we'll have to tell them something soon," she agreed, smiling. "After all, we can't have everyone think I'm an unwed mother." She glanced over at him to watch his reaction.

"What are you talking about? You were married to Joe before you had the boys."

"I know, but I'm not talking about Philip and Jamie."

His eyes opened with surprise and a little shock. "You mean you -- we're going to have a baby?"

She laughed. "Well, _I_ am, anyway."

"But I thought that you couldn't have any more kids," he said in confusion. She had confessed once that the doctors had said it would be almost impossible for her to conceive again.

"That's what the doctors said. I guess they made a mistake."

"I guess they did." He took her hand and looked into her eyes. He knew she been acting differently the past few days but he'd put it down to recent events. This was something he'd never considered. He found himself getting excited, but he was still a little stunned. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "The doctor confirmed it this morning."

He held her tightly in his arms. "I love you."

"I hope so," she teased.

He thought for a few minutes. "What do you think of the name Lee? It's good for a boy and a girl," he mused.

"Lee, it's too early to be thinking of names yet," she cautioned, smiling.

"Oh."

"Besides," she continued, "I was thinking of the name Jennifer if it were a girl."

He shifted a little and looked at her. "That was my mother's name."

"I know. I thought it would be nice. How do you feel about it?"

A warm feeling spread throughout him. "I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world."

She laughed a little self-consciously. "Seriously."

"I've never been more serious in my life." He kissed her long and hard.

After a few minutes they parted breathlessly.

"You know what?" He asked huskily.

She shook her head.

"I feel like making mad, passionate love to you right now."

She smiled warmly. "Sounds good to me."

"But you're -- " he broke off in confusion.

"We have a few months before things get too uncomfortable. Besides, didn't you ever hear the expression, _'where there's a will, there's a way'_?"

"Oh, yeah?" A wide smile spread across his face.

"Unfortunately Philip's occupying our bed at the moment," she reminded him.

"I forgot about that," he admitted, frowning thoughtfully.

"But the couch is pretty roomy."

He smiled. "I picked up something earlier today." He got up and took out a CD, and opened the case. He placed it on the CD player. He then skipped ahead to the song he wanted. "I heard this song the other day and couldn't get it out of my mind," he said, sitting back down beside her.

Michael Bolton's 'Now That I Found You' started to play.

Lee slipped his arm across her shoulders again and watched her reaction.

Her eyes filled with tears. "It's beautiful."

He looked deep into her eyes. "I think it's perfect. Don't you?"

She nodded, taking a shaky breath.

"You know, the couch _does_ look a lot bigger than I remembered."

She smiled. "Where there's a will, there's a way."

"And there's definitely a will." He kissed her long and passionately.

   [1]: mailto:Scarecro9@aol.com



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